Cigarette lighter



`lari. 29, 1952 l, FLQRMAN 2,583,691

CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed 0G11.- 19. 1949 IN VEN TOR. F', .4 7@

y 76 Irl/m9 Fla/"man BY W91; may, gw-W A TTOE/VE K5 Patented Jan. 29,1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE LIGHTER Irving Florman, NewYork, N. Y.

Application October 19, 1949, Serial No. 122,279

1 claim.

My invention relates to cigarettelighters; and more particularly tolighters of the pyrophoric type.

The primary object ofthe invention is to provide a lighter which can beused for long periods of time without refilling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighter which is easy touse and effective in operation. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a lighter which can holdlarge quantities of liquid fuel, such fuelbeing supplied to thewick insuitablev quantities without danger of ooding the wick or the ignitingmechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lighter having amain fuel chamber in which the wick receives its fuel and an auxiliaryfuel chamber for holding liquid fuel, with means for openingcommunication between the chambers at each operation of the lighter.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel mountingfor a thumb piece of a lighter which is connectedv to a snuer capoperating the igniting mechanism, this connection being flexible andself-adjusting so as to cause more eflicient operation ofthe lighter;

An additional object of the invention is to provide a lighter which issimple andJ inexpensive in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description, especially when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a lighter embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the three parts of the lighter separated;

F Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the three parts of Fig. 4 is across-section substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the top part of the lighter in operatingposition;

Fig. '7 shows in side elevation the snuier and thumb piece; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The lighter is composed of a main body portion 2, a bottom reservoir orfuel holding chamber 4 preferably formed of a transparent plastic, and atop portion 6. The intermediate portion 2 is holiow and has a bottomwall 8 provided with an opening II). The bottom portion 4 fits over ashoulder on bottom wall 8, as at I2, and is suitably secured thereto asby an adhesive. The bottom portion 4 is hollow, and its bottom wall isclosed by a threaded plug I4.

The intermediate; ory main fuel chamber, portion 2 has a top wall I6from which extends up wardlyv a wick holding tube I 8 adapted to hold awick 20. This wick extends into a suitable filling 22 of: absorbentmaterial, such as cotton, within the member 2; The bottom vwall 8 ofmember 2 hasr a downward extension 24, and a tube 26, which may be ofmetal, extends through an opening in the top wall I6 and downwardlythrough extension 24, passing through the center ofthe member 2. Thelower end of this tube 26 isV closed by'a plug 28.

A vertical Wall 3Q having openings 32 is arranged within the mainfuelchamber 2 to divide off the portieriI containing the cotton 22 from4a separate portion 34. Opening l0 communicates with this space 34. A rod36 extends with a sliding fit through the top wall I6, andhas a reducedlower end 38 arranged within the opening I0 and of less diameter thanthat opening. An enlarged head 40 onthe lower end of the rod engages adisc 42, above which is arranged `a washer 44, this disc and washerbeing larger than opening I6 so that when the rod is moved upwardly thewasher will seal the opening and prevent communication betweencontainers 2 and 4. A coil spring 46 arranged within the space 34 andresting on lower wall 8 engages `a disc 48 secured on rod 36, and thusurges the rod upwardly, or in other words into a, position to close holeI6.

The top member 6 includes a plate 50 having openings adapted to t overwick holding tube I8 and rod 36. Extending downwardly from this plate isa flint holding tube 52 which is slidable into tube 26, and is closed atits bottom end by a threaded plug 54. This threaded plug supports aspring 56 which presses upwardly a flint 58 mounted in the upper end ofthe tube 52.

Upstanding from the plate 5U are ears 60. between which on shaft 62 ismounted a flint wheel 64 engaging the flint 58. On opposite sides of theint wheel the side walls 66 bearing snuffer cap 68 are likewise pivotedon shaft 62,. One of these side walls has an inwardly bent tongue I0engageable in ratchet notches 'I2 formed in the adjacent face of theiiint wheel 64. The snuffer cap 68 is arranged to overiie the wick 2tand engage the top of wick tube I8 when the device is in the closedposition shown in Fig. 4.

Walls 66 are provided with angularly arranged slots 'I4 inv which engageinwardly turned lugs 16 on the side edges of walls 18 of thumb piece 80.This thumb piece has secured on its lower face a cup 82 which ts overthe upper end of rod 36. It will be noted, however, as clearly shown inFig. 4, that there is a loose fit between the cup and the rod, asindicated by the space 84, or in other Words that the inside dimensionsof the cup are substantially greater than the outside dimensions of therod.

The lighter hereinbefore described operates as follows:

When the thumb piece 86 is depressed, lugs 16 through slots 14 turn thesnuier 68 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4) and lift the snufer cap offthe wick. At the same time, towards the end of this movement, tongue 7Uturns the flint wheel and causes it to throw sparks onto the wick so asto ignite it. When this happens rod 16 is simultaneously depressed andwasher 44 is moved away from opening I9, thus establishing communicationbetween the lower vfuel chamber 4 and the upper fuel chamber 2. Inordinary usage, a suicient amount of vapor Will pass up from the lowerfuel chamber to the upper one at each operation of the lighter to keepthe wick sutilciently saturated. If, however, this should not besulcient, all that is necessary is to invert the lighter and pushsomewhat on the finger piece, but not sufciently to operate the flintwheel. When this is done, the valve is opened and liquid fuel can owinto the main fuel chamber from the auxiliary chamber 4.

It Will be noted that there is a loose or selfadjusting connectionbetween the rod 36 and the thumb piece 80. This connection allows thethumb pieceto adjust its position normally with respect to the snuffercap, and thus aids in ensuring proper operation of the snuffer cap andthe ilint Wheel when the thumb piece is depressed. In this aspect, sucha construction is applicable and valuable even in a lighter in whichdepres- "sion of the Ythumb piece does not open a valve Y between twofuel chambers, but in which the rod 36 merely serves Vto restore theparts to closed vposition after operation. Y

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, I wish itto be understood that I do not entend to limit myself thereby exceptwithin the scope of the claim hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

In a cigarette lighter or the like, a body having a transverse interiorwall dividing the space within the body into upper and lower fuelchambers, said Wall having an opening therein, a, wick communicatingwith the upper fuel chamber and emerging on the top wall of said body, arod slidable through the top wall of the body and through said opening,closure means for said opening mounted on said rod below said interiorwall, means. urging' said rod upwardly, a iiint Wheel rotatably mountedon said top wall between said rod and said wick, means to hold a intagainst said i'lint wheel, a thumb piece having a downwardly open cupengaging the upper end of said rod, and means operatively connectingsaid thumb piece to said int wheel, the inside dimensions of said cupbeing greater than the outside dimensions of said rod.

IRVING FLORMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

